[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 97 (Tuesday, July 9, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S5564]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    CONGRATULATING JOHN BREITFELDER

  Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, today I wish to congratulate John 
Breitfelder of New Canaan, who was selected to represent Connecticut in 
this year's Healthy Lunchtime Challenge contest hosted by First Lady 
Michelle Obama.
  Today, John joins 54 students, ages 8 to 12, at the White House for a 
Kids' State Dinner. These winners hailing from all 50 States, 3 U.S. 
territories, and the District of Columbia will share a healthy lunch 
featuring their winning recipes. John's creation, a quinoa ``risotto'' 
with shrimp and kale was selected from over 1,300 recipes evaluated by 
a panel of judges, which included representatives from the First Lady's 
Let's Move!, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of 
Education, DC Central Kitchen, and two student graduates of the Share 
Our Strength's Cooking Matters Program. The contest ``invited a parent 
or guardian to work with their child ages 8-12 to create a lunchtime 
recipe that is healthy, affordable, original, and delicious.'' The 
winning recipes adhere to the USDA's MyPlate guidelines, featuring each 
of the food groups.
  I applaud John for taking the initiative to enter this contest to 
explore how healthy foods can also be delicious, and the support of his 
family. This innovative competition not only combats childhood obesity, 
but also raises awareness of the importance of cooking for overall 
health as well as success in the classroom. Children are taught 
personal responsibility, encouraged to express their creativity, and 
are inspired to continue to make responsible choices and bring 
consciousness to each meal. I also thank the First Lady for hosting a 
Kids' State Dinner to celebrate the importance of parents and guardians 
spending time together in the kitchen and then sitting around a table 
and sharing food with each other. This month, Epicurious will offer a 
cookbook featuring these winning recipes free of charge. I invite my 
Senate colleagues to join me in recognizing John and his fellow junior 
chefs for inspiring countless students across the country to try their 
own recipes and share the gift of healthy eating with their families 
and communities.

                          ____________________